The new expanded format for season 3 includes two rounds per week: Tuesday nights we play four bo1 rounds in a Swiss bracket, and Thursday nights feature two bo3 rounds in a single elimination bracket. Each phase of play requires a different map selection process.

Swiss Rounds

Each week the Swiss Round features four bo1 matches. For each match, the map is specified. This is identical to the selection of maps in Season 2. The following specifies the maps for all four weeks of Swiss Rounds:

Week 1

Round 1

Towers of Doom

Round 2

Infernal Shrines

Round 3

Battlefield of Eternity

Round 4

Sky Temple

Week 2

Round 1

Tomb of the Spider Queen

Round 2

Dragon Shire

Round 3

Cursed Hollow

Round 4

Braxis Holdout

Week 3

Round 1

Warhead Junction

Round 2

Towers of Doom

Round 3

Infernal Shrines

Round 4

Battlefield of Eternity

Week 4

Round 1

Sky Temple

Round 2

Tomb of the Spider Queen

Round 3

Dragon Shire

Round 4

Cursed Hollow

Playoff Rounds

Playoff Rounds each week feature two rounds of bo3 matches. In both rounds, maps will be drafted from the following pool:

Towers of Doom

Infernal Shrines

Battlefield of Eternity

Sky Temple

Tomb of the Spider Queen

Dragon Shire

Cursed Hollow

Braxis Holdout

Warhead Junction

The drafting process will be conducted as follows:

The higher seeded team (here labeled “Team A”) will begin by banning one battleground.

The other team (“Team B”) will then ban one battleground.

Team A will then select a battleground from the remaining (unbanned) battlegrounds.

Team B will be granted first pick/ban during hero select.

At the end of the first game, the losing team will have the option to choose either the next battleground to be played, or to have first pick/ban, with the winning team performing the remaining option.